It depends on who comes. Mostly F18 and F16 with some A cats. There is a Nacra F20 carbon in the fleet as well. There used to be enough 16s to make fleet but never 18s, 14s or 20s. There may be a few more 18s this year though.

Perhaps we could make a concerted effort to get a bunch of 16s to show up at one of these events at Keowee. Looking at my crystal ball, the one in May will probably work best for me.

Before I moved to Knoxville, a bunch of us with 14's worked together and we actually got a five-boat Hobie 14 fleet to show up at Mid-Americas in Dallas over Labor Day weekend. It was the first time they'd had a fleet of 14s in years. Coordinating these things is like putting together pick-up ball games when we were kids (do they still do that?). You just have to stay in touch and tell your friends. There's another 16 sailor here in Knoxville that might be interested as well.

Several of the 16 sailors in the fleet will team up and sail F18 at some events and sail with the kids at another. Spring Fever in Ga will be the first race most likely next year, its at easter. There are always enough 16s to make fleet at that race. There are also a couple solo 16 racers, Genmar Star will race 16 or 18 solo. You just have to go and hope others do as well. I haven't raced in the past year but was very active several years ago.

I'm interested and willing to do one of the two, but I can't commit until a bit closer to the event. I have three kids that have a million activities going on and I have to convince one of them to be my crew.

Sounds like we've got the potential to put together a good 16 fleet. You guys will like racing against me, I make other sailors look good. I'm a decent sailor but not the best racer. I lose a lot, but I enjoy the challenge and really get pumped at doing at least a few things right or seeing improvement from one race to the next.

Let's poll a few more folks and try to get a consensus on one of the South Carolina weekends and maybe make the one in Georgia too. It may be tough for me to get away on Easter weekend, but I won't rule it out just yet. Where in Georgia is that one?

I'll make one of the Keowee events and hopefully the GA event. I finally figured out that Lake Hartwell is just south of Keowee. I plan to go to Mid-Winters East at Ocean Springs, MS, from April 11-14, which is wedged right in between GA and the first Keowee event. That's what makes the April Keowee event less likely for me. My wife would change the locks if I went to regattas three weekends in a row.

Let's keep talking these events up, stay in touch, and see a little closer to these regatta dates who can make it where.